6/23/19

Another week down, I am coming close to the end of my first physics course. Over this week I covered: work, energy, and power. I am to see things clear up on the physics side of my final “capstone” project of the Karman Line launch, or at least the non-electrical physics side of launching. The only other things that I would have to learn, in the non-electrical side of things, would be related to the rockets reentry and landing. Looking forward, I would need to learn about the electrical physics side of things as well. Glancing at the formulas chart, topics on optics and such would be interesting to learn about, but I’m not currently aware of how I might use the information. Possibly I won’t. However the chart sections on electricity and magnetism will be helpful. I am also going to need to learn introductory thermodynamics.

On the topic of looking forward to new studies, as I finish my first physics course I am moving back to math and fully take the linear algebra course from UT. As of right now I am understanding and getting the homework better than my physics course, possibly due to a slightly better produced course. Not quite sure what the course would help me understand as of right now, however it seems it could be helpful as I go forward into different engineering courses.

Looking forward on to the main project. I am starting to plan out the different parts of the rocket launch and flight. I have broken the flight into three main sections. The first section, the launch and climb. With this section I will be dealing with the fuel and type of engine. I will also need to figure out the quantity of the different forces that will be needed to get off the ground and up to the Low Earth Orbit (LEO). Leading to the second section of the flight, the LEO. With this section I will need to understand electrical and mechanical components and any programming that allow them to function. This is the section where I need to have components working correctly to prove the height reached and to release an object as planned. Lastly the landing and recovery. This would have more electric components and parachute to make recovery go smoothly.

With the electric and mechanical parts, I will need to learn and practice with them. For these components I will be basing using the Arduino, or at least components that come from the Arduino. Yesterday, I bought a textbook that should help me learn about using the Arduino family of boards. This should be it for now.